Portable building



Aug. 14, 1934. G. D. TESCH PORTABLE BUILDING Filed April 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEY Aug. 14, 1934. e. D. TESCH 1,970,404

PORTABLE BUILDING Filed April 15, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 14, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE BUILDING 7 George D. Tesch, Chicago,*Ill. Application A pril 15, 1932, Serial-No. 605,395

. 12 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to produce a simple. and novel building structure com,-

.posed of metal in the form of frame elements and slabs or panels of opaque structural glass I or other suitable material, whose separate parts may be fabricated and be set up anywhere by simply securing them together with suitable mechanical fastenings.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims;

but,.for a. full understanding of .my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to' the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: t

Figure 1' is a top plan view of one half of a building structure embodying the present invention, one quarter of the building being shown completed and only the skeleton or'frame of the other quarter appearing; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the building as it appears inFig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing a fragment of the frame at the juncture of one of the upright beams with adjacent .cross pieces; Fig. 4 is a side or edge view of the parts appearing in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an elevation, ,on the same scale as Fig. 3, showing a fragment of one of the uprights and an intermediate panel support; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and may also be said to be a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of a fragment of the frame at the apex of the structure; Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of-Fig.- 7; Fig. 9 is a section, on a still larger scale, on line 9-9 of Fig. 2, and it is also a section on line -9.9 of Fig. 3 with the addition of the slabs or panels; Fig. 10 is a section on line 1010 of Fig. 2, or on line 1010 of Fig. 3, showing the slabs or panels that do not appear inFig. 3; and Fig. 11 is a section on line 1111 of Fig. 10, as well as on line 11.-11 of Fig. 3, with the addition of the weather strip to the parts shown in-Fig. 3. 1

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1 represent the uprights and 2, 2 the cross pieces of a skeleton or. openworkframe structure in the form of a dome. The uprights are in the form ofstructural steel beams, preferably I -shaped in cross section- These beams arenot curved gradually from end to end but consists of straight sections, each lying at an angle to the sections adjacent thereto. .Similarly, the cross pieces '2 may be straight, so that the dome, before the panels are added, consists of numerous. adjoining four.

sided frames, all. of whose sides or elements are straight. -When the panels or slabs are set into the. openings in. these frames, as. will ,hereinafter he described; the surface of the dome will be composed of numerous comparatively small,

flat areas or facets. i

The cross pieces of the framework are connected to the. upright beams by means of anchor plates that may conveniently be in the form of castings. As shown, each anchor plate comprises a cross-shaped'part 3 the halves of which on each side of its major axes, slope in. opposite directions from these axes; the angle between oppositely sloped faces corresponding to the angle between the two sections of the upright beam at whose juncture the anchor plate is located. One of these anchor plates is secured to each bend, elbow or angle in each upright beam. In 'order to avoid 'making the anchor plates too heavy, the vertical arm of each is provided on the inner or under side with a pair of lugs 4 that rest against theflange of the underlying upright beam; each plate being detachably fastened to the underlying beam by means of bolts 5 passing through theplate and the flange or flanges of the-beam. The'transverse arms of each anchor plate are ofiset downwardly, as indicated at 6, '6, to form seats for the ends of the cross pieces 2. The cross pieces are made just long enough to fit between the corresponding anchor plates on two of the uprights, resting at their ends on the'seats 6 on the anchor plates. The cross pieces are detachably fastened to the anchor plates by small screws 7' extending through the cross pieces and the underlying seat portions 6 of the plates. The uprights terminate a short distance from the apex of the dome, being set into deep notches cut into a thick ring 8 having its axis coincident with thecentral vertical axis of the dome. The ring is provided With ears 9 that engage with the sides of the web portions of the upright beams and are bolted through by means of ,bolts 10. The ring 8 may be regarded asthecap of the dome, as it may support any suitable'covering element, not shown. ,After the framework has been set up, the openings in whatrmay be termed the individual frames, each formed of cross. pieces, and a section of each of two uprights must be filled. This I, accomplish. by providing preformed panels that are simply set into the openings, are secured to the framework, by a few screws, and have their joints with the framework sealedby what may be called weather strips which are quickly and easily placed in position.

I prefer to support each panel or slab at its corners from the anchor plates. To this end each anchor plate is provided with wings 12 that extend inwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the supporting beam and on opposite sides of the transverse arms which may be regarded as continuations' of the cross beams; the, wings of each pair diverging Somewhat-from each other. At the inner end of each wing is a comparatively wide flange 13. Therefore, after the framework has been assembled, each panel-receiving open ing has in its corners little shelves, which are the flanges 13, set inwardly a considerable dis tance from the exterior of the structure. I tiWill be evident that, if a s1aborpanelcut to the proper size and shape is set *into'one er th operr ings in the framework, it will be adeguately supported at its corners by the shelves or flanges. While, in: the Zbroadest" aspects of mys inventionitheli-slabsiior' panels may take any desired form "and belsmade of any. "desired material, I have -'illustra'tedz whatzsI. believe to be an "excep.- tionallyl good .typ'e of panel for this purpose. The panel which I have illustrated'consists of a stiff, 'toughbacking layer 14, which may conveniently be flberfboardand athick sheet 15 of opaque 'structiiralglas-s united to the backing layer bymeansi'of cement 16. Eaohpf the com- .posite slabsyorp-panels :issurrounded by a frame 17 of sheet -m'etal, trough-shaped inv crosssec- :tion, one side wall of the trough" beingfolded lengthwise of the trough toproduce an outwardlyy'and' laterally projecting ;rib,18 that fits into thepjoint betweenthe backing-layer andthe vitreous Elayer, gofgthe composite panel. Each slab or paneLwithits surrounding. sheet metal frame, is adaptedrto fit into its; opening in the framework, resting 1on.the;;suppor ting seatsor shelvesjforming part of the anchor plates'atthe corners of this opening. Bymaking the sheet metalyframes of, these slabs or, panels troughshaped, the, outermost sides will yield so as to :permit the slabs to be wedged firmly between the anchor plategwings which bound this openin at the, corner a bes sh wn, in Fi 9 nd i0.- "-The'sheet-met? i mm are. se u e t h underlying flan es. by, serew 9- i 1 It is necessaryp-not onl f r appearance sake,

.but also to. prevent windan Wa r f m p singthrough the joints petween the slabs o fgpanels :and theframework, that these ;joihts be properly, sealed. I' -have, therefore, shown an arrangement of ,weather strips 7 or covering strips that will serve both; of these purposes There 1 are .twogsets of these strips, one of them ex tending alongqthe structure just outside of; the uprights and .the other set following the cross pieces. Each of. these stripshasna central panel -20 overlying and extending from the transverse arm =of-*ea'ch anchor plate" to =the next anchor plate the same horizontaLrow; or overlying a'nd extending-front the "vertical arm of each anchor plate 'to" the next 'anchorplate "above or below it the section 20 beihg secured tothe anchor plates 7 by screws- 21. The mar'ginal 'portions of each of -the- "section's- 20 at its l'on'g edges are turd-redoutwardly a's indicated-"at 22, to produce nar row flanges. Cooperating with each central'section =20 'a're twoside sections 23, 23, each 'con'sisti ng zof astrip ofsheet' metal bent to produce a' 'p'art 24-'fltt-ing' against a-tsmalhpart of T the trip 5 of e'al'ch anchor plate and apornon trough-like frames on the composite panels,

fith'eroby securing these sheet metal frames and .the weather stripping together and pressing the Weatherstripping yieldingly against the composite panel's.

.,Where the distance between a cross piece and the next higher cross piece is comparatively great it rnay be desirable to provide supports for the panels in addition to those at the four corners. In that event, I'rmay employ..tsaddles, such as indicatedlat in Figs. 1,v 2, 5 andlfii, these saddles being U-shaped plates- 'setiupon and secured tottheuprights insubstantiallyrthe same manner as are theIanchor'plates.-' :These saddles have wing portions 31. and .flanges 32 corresponding to the: wings: '12 and flanges 13 on the anchor plates. These saddles: vmay be placed on each straight section.-of='the=iuprights, between consecutive anchorplates. Then, :when ithe'panels are placedain position, they rest on the-fiange's liB and engage with thewin'gs 12.-.of the anchor ip'la't'es. a I

. While I have "illustrated 'and .described .with particularity *only a single preferred :form .of any invention, I do not desire to be limited to the e):- act structural details .=thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover allforms and: ar r'ang'ements which amine-within the:-definitions of my invention constituting the appended -claims.1 1 i l I claim: r

-1. A'Lframe for abuilding comprising beam's extending continuously between the. top andsbottom, anchor plates overlying and secured-toxth'e beams; there being aseries of anchorplates'on each beam and the distribution ithereofalong -the beams being-the-same for a'llof'the beams, and'cross pieces each spanning the space be tween and secured to corresponding anchor plates on adjacent beams, the anchor plates at the four corners'of each openingboundedby-two adjacent beams and two adjacent lcrosspieoes having seats to receive the four corners :of a

slab-or panel closing such opening; 1

2. A *frain'e fora building comprising beams extending continuouslybetwe'en the top and bot tom, anchor plates overlying and-secured to the beams, there "being a seriesof" anchor plates on each beam and the distribution thereof alongithe beamsbeing-th e same f'or all of thebeams cross rpieces each spanning the space betweenand secured to. corresponding anchor plates on adjacent beams, and means cooperating-'iwvith'the anchor platesto secure slabsor-panels in positionscov'ering the openings in theframe;

A wall-fora building comprising beams extendingicontihuously' between the top and-bot- =.tom, anchorsplateswverlying andsecured to the beams. and proj ecting laterally therefrom. .in both i 1 dirctions,'rthere lbeinga series of anchor plates "on each bear'n and -thei distribution thereof along the bearrls being the "same? forall- :ofIthe beams, cross'-:.pieces" 'each1 spanning the s'pa'ce between and secured E to corresponding anchor: plates: on

adjacent beams and forming with the beams a framework, slabs or panels fitting into the openings in the framework, and there being seats on the anchor plates for the corners of the slabs or panels.

4. A wall for a building comprising beams extending between the top and bottom, anchor plates overlying and secured to the beams, there being a series of anchor plates on each beam and the distribution thereof along the beams being the same for all of the beams, cross pieces each spanning the space between and secured to corresponding anchor plates on adjacent beams and forming with the beams an open framework, slabs or panels fitting into the openings in the framework, seats on the anchor plates supporting the corners of the slabs or panels, weather strips overlying and spanning the gaps between the edges of adjacent slabs or panels, and means securing said strips to the anchor plates.

5. A wall for a building comprising beams extending continuously between the top and bottom of a dome-shaped structure, a cap detachably connecting the upper ends of the beams together, anchor plates overlying and bolted to the beams, there being a series of anchor plates on each beam and the distribution thereof along the beams being the same for all of the beams, cross pieces each spanning the space between and detachably secured to corresponding anchor plates on adjacent beams, preformed slabs or panels fitting into the openings in the framework formed by the beams and cross pieces, and means on the anchor plates to support and secure said slabs or panels.

6. A frame for a building comprising structural steel beams extending between the top and bottom, anchor plates overlying and secured to the beams, there being a series of anchor plates on each beam and the distribution thereof along the beams being the same for all of the beams, and cross pieces each spanning the space between two beams and resting on and secured to the corresponding anchor plates, each anchor plate having wings extending inwardly beside its beam and cross pieces in all four angles, and said wings having laterally-projecting flanges at their inner ends.

7. A frame for a building comprising structural steel T beams extending between the top and bottom, anchor plates overlying and detachably secured to the beams, there being a series of anchor plates on each beam and the distribution thereof along the beams being the same for all of the beams, and fiat metal cross pieces each spanning the space between and detachably secured to corresponding anchor plates on adjacent beams, said plates having seats at each side to receive the cross pieces and hold them flush with the outer faces of the plates.

8. A frame for a building comprising structural steel T beams extending between the top and bottom, anchor plates overlying and bolted to the beams, there being a series of anchor plates on each beam and the distribution thereof along the beams being the same for all of the beams, and fiat metal cross pieces each spanning the space between two beams, corresponding anchor plates on adjacent beams, screws securing the cross pieces to the anchor plates, the anchor plates at the four corners of each opening bounded by two adjacent beams and two adjacent cross pieces having outwardly-opening seats at a considerable distance inwardly from the outer faces of the plates.

9. A wall for a building comprising structural steel beams extending between the top and bottom, anchor plates overlying and bolted to the beams and projecting laterally therefrom in both directions, there being a series of anchor plates on each beam and the distribution thereof along the beams being the same for all of the beams, metal cross pieces each spanning the space between and secured to corresponding anchor plates onadjacent beams and forming with the beams a framework, preformed slabs or panels fitting into the openings in the framework, there being seats on the anchor plates inwardly from the outer faces of the plates for the corners of the slabs or panels, metal strips projecting from the slabs or panels at'the edges of the latter, screws holding the aforesaid strips to said seats, weather strips spanning the gaps between adjacent slabs or panels, and screws detachably securing the weather strips to the underlying strips on the slabs or panels.

10. A building comprising structural steel beams extending from top to bottom of a domeshaped structure, anchor plates on and secured to the beams, there being a series of anchor plates on each beam and the distribution thereof along the beams being the same for all of the beams, cross pieces each spanning the space between and secured to corresponding anchor plates on adjacent beams and forming with the beams an open framework, each anchor plate having on opposite'sides of the corresponding beam and cross pieces inwardly-extending diverging wings provided at their inner ends with flanges projecting into the corresponding openings in the framework, slabs or panels each arranged in one of the openings in the framework and resting on the flanges in that opening, sheet metal elements projecting from the edges of the slabs or panels and bent laterally to fit against the adjacent wings on the anchor plates, screws securing the said sheet metal elements to the flanges on the anchor plates, weather strips overlying and spanning the gaps between the edges of adjacent slabs or panels, and means securing said strips to said sheet metal elements.

11. A wall for a building comprising an openwork metal frame structure, said structure having at the sides of and extending into each opening seats that lie inwardly from the outer face of the frame, a compound slab arranged in each opening in the frame structure and resting on the seats therein, eachslab being composed of a stiff fiber backing and a panel of vitreous material cemented thereto, each slab having a surrounding frame of sheet metal flanged to engage with the parts of the frame beside the seats, means to secure the sheet metal frames to the seats, weather stripsspanning the gaps between adjacent slabs, and means to hold said weather strips in contact with the underlying slabs.

12. A wall comprising a metal frame structure having large openings therein, slabs each arranged in one of said openings and having an outer layer at least of opaque structural glass,

, a sheet metal frame surrounding and forming GEORGE D. TESCH. 

